Contego
by WardenN7
Summary: "Touka was crying. Touka...she never cried. She was the strong one, the one who promised to protect Ayato no matter what, because she was the big sister, and he was the little brother, and that's how it was. At least, that's what Ayato had believed all this time. It never occurred to him that he could have been wrong." Ayato-centric. Pre-Tokyo Ghoul storyline.


Ayato Kirishima was confused.

Groggily, he wakes up from his nap (he's much too old for naps, he knows this, but he promised himself he would wait for Touka to come back from scavenging, and the next thing he knows he's waking up on their makeshift beds), and he hears the sound of small sniffles. It's barely noticeable, but Ayato and Touka haven't lived in their "new" house for very long, and he's still sensitive to all the noises. It confuses him, but he realizes immediately that he had fallen asleep while waiting for his Aneki, and he hurriedly grabs the small, stuffed bunny Touka had found for him and went on his way to search for his sister.

The house isn't big, and it isn't high-quality, either. They weren't allowed such luxuries. Being ghouls, they were constantly on the run from the CCG, never staying in one place for too long in fear that they would be caught and killed. _Like father was, _the small voice in Ayato's head speaks.

His father's death was not something he liked to think about; it wasn't so new that every time he remembered his death that he'd start crying, but the wound was still fresh enough to cause pain, and while he was more angry than sad now, he would see the familiar flash of hurt in Touka's eyes when he was mentioned, and seeing his Aneki look so sad made Ayato feel sad.

He was eight. Touka was only a couple of years older than him. Much too young to be living in a harsh world like this by themselves, but Ayato wasn't dumb enough to believe that the world actually cared. It was much too cruel to care about children like them.

The world - no, the Doves - had taken everything away from them: their mother, father, home, security. In return, however, they were left each other, and this is how it was now: searching for abandoned houses in the hopes of not sleeping out in the cold, and scavenging for meat in an effort to stay alive. They were children, but in a world ruled by Doves, this was what they were destined for.

_I still have Aneki though, _Ayato though, rubbing his tired eyes. The thought comforted him tremendously.

Making his way to what Ayato knew was the living area, he saw Touka. She was sitting – _hunching, more like _– on the couch, and her shoulders were shaking softly. Her hands were covering her eyes, and occasionally she'd take a shaky breath, then continue to cry some more. The sight confused Ayato.

Touka was crying. Touka... she never cried. She was the strong one, the one who promised to protect Ayato no matter what, because she was the big sister, and he was the little brother, and that's how it was.

At least, that's what Ayato had believed all this time. It never occurred to him that he could have been wrong.

"A-aneki...?" he approached her cautiously. The sight was unnerving on many levels, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it.

Touka gasped and looked up quickly. Her eyes were wide with shock, but Ayato was focused on how red and swollen they were. Some tears fell down her cheeks, but she rubbed them away quickly, turning her head away from her brother.

"Ayato, why are you awake so early?"

The question was mumbled, but still loud enough for Ayato to hear. Hesitantly, he stepped forward a bit, but after seeing her pull away, he stopped in his tracks. He must have looked sad, because Touka seemed to regret it immediately, but he made no move to continue forward.

"I woke up because I heard noises," he explained. He did not feel as tired as he was moments ago. Seeing Touka made him forget completely how groggy he felt. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, Aneki, I swear! I was waiting for you to come back, but I woke up in bed, and I heard sniffling, and I just wanted to come see you."

He stopped himself there, because Touka was looking at him oddly, and he wasn't sure if she was still sad, but he didn't want to take any chances, so he stretched out his arm as far as it could go, holding the bunny out to her.

She eyed the stuffed toy oddly, then switched her gaze back over to Ayato. "What's this for?"

"You're sad, Aneki. If you're sad, well, don't cute things make it better? Aren't bunnies...cute things?" He had learned this logic from a little girl he overheard in a park one day. And, honestly, the only reason he kept the rabbit was because Touka had given it to him. He wouldn't mind giving it to her now, especially if it made her feel better in some way.

Touka giggled, and the sound filled Ayato's entire being with warmth. When Touka laughed nowadays, it made Ayato feel like he had accomplished something important. Her laugh was not overly loud, but not too quiet either, and her smile lit up her whole face. Her eyes burned bright with mirth, and Ayato felt proud that he had made the darkness lift from his Aneki's eyes, even if it was for a bit.

Her giggles died down, and she gingerly grabbed the rabbit from Ayato's small hand, inspecting it thoroughly. She hugged it tightly to her chest and offered Ayato a small yet genuine smile.

"I think you're right, Ayato. It does make me feel better. Thank you." She held her arms out toward him, beckoning him forward, and he wasted no time in jumping into her arms.

Hugging her tightly, he could not help but wonder something, and although he was sure he knew the answer, he felt the burning desire to ask her anyways. Moving his mouth towards her ear, he whispered softly, "Aneki, what were you crying about?"

Touka was silent, and Ayato thought she was ignoring him, but she brought his head closer to her, whispering back, "I was thinking about dad...and the CCG."

Of course she was. Ayato's presumptions were correct, and the fact that this had weighed down on his Aneki so much that she had broken down in their living room infuriated Ayato.

_This is what the Doves do, though. They destroy lives. They hurt people. How can they accuse us of being monsters, after everything they have done to us? Why can't they just leave us alone?_

They never would, though. They would persist, and persist, and persist, until they have killed every single last ghoul on the planet. Even Touka.

_No, not my Aneki. Never my Aneki. I...I..._

"Ayato, are you okay? You're shaking." Touka's worried voice called out to him. It was soft and soothing, and as she was rubbing small circles into his back, Ayato realized that he couldn't stand a world without his sister in it.

"I'm fine, Aneki. Can we eat something now? I'm kind of hungry."

"Sure, Ayato."

_**I won't let those scum hurt you. I may be the little brother, but I'll protect you, no matter what. I'll kill all of them, Touka. I swear.  
**_


End file.
